Combined cane and stool.



PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904.

C. S. ROGERS.

COMBINED CANE AND STOOL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 190's.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR 1 M 8 W FIG I No. 767,246. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904.

, G. S. ROGERS.

COMBINED CANE AND STOOL.

, APPLIOATIOH FILED NOV. 2, 1903.

no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET2.

lNvENToR.

w M SW ATTEST.

ATTY- s. I

No. 767,246. Patented August 9, 19041 UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

CHARLES S. ROGERS, OF HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CONVERTIBLE CANE SEAT MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMBINED CANE AND STOOL- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,246, dated August 9, 1904.

Application filed November 2,1903. Serial No. 179,564. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 1 indicates the hand-section, which is in the 5 Be it known that I, CHARLES S. ROGERS, a form of the upper end of a walking cane or citizen of the United States, residing at Hot stick having at its lower end a ferrule 52, pro- Springs, Garland county, State of Arkansas, vided with a screw-threaded shank 3. The have invented certain new and usefulImprovestool-section is composed of a central post 4:,

ments in a Combined Cane and Stool, of which having a screw-threaded socket 5 at its upper 55 the following is a specification containing a end for receiving the threaded shank 3 of the full, clear, and exact description, reference, said hand-section. The lower end of said post being had to the accompanying drawings, 4 is provided with suitable flexible metallic forming a part hereof. strips 6, which act as hinges for the legs 7, the

My invention relates to improvements in upper ends of which latter are secured to said 60 combined canes and stools; and it consists in strips by means of suitable screws or other the novel construction, combination, and ar fastenings. At this point I desire to state rangement of parts hereinafter shown, dethat any other form of common hinge may scribed, and claimed. be substituted for the strips 6 in connecting The object of my invention is to provide an the legs to the post 4. Said strips should be 5 improved combined cane and stool which shall in the form of flat springs in order to norpossess certain advantages over the devices of mally urge the legs apart, as shown in Fig. the prior art. 5. As a further means of urging said legs In terms my invention comprises a handle apart and causing them to automatically ashaving a screw-threaded nipple at its lower sume the form of a tripod I make use of ad- 7 0 end, a stool-post having a socket at its upper ditional flat springs 8, the lower ends of two end to receive said nipple, legs hinged to the of which are secured to each leg by means of lower end of said post, springs to throw the suitable screws or fastenings and the upper lower ends of the legs apart, a flaring, runends of which engage the upper ends of 0pner encircling said legs, seatbraces pivposite springs extending from opposite legs, oted to said runner, seat-arms pivoted to so that when said springs meet they exert a said socket and to said braces, and a strap force tending to separate the lower ends of connecting and spacing said seat-arms, all arthe legs.

0 ranged so that when the runner is pressed Each leg is provided with a circular outer down around the legs the legs and seat-arms surface and angular inner surface, so that are folded and a cane is produced and when when three legs are pressed closely together the handleis removed and the runner elevated they will be in the form of a cylinder, as the legs are spread apart to form a tripod, the shown in Fig. 7

3 5 seat-arms are elevated to form a seat, and the The position of the legs 7 is controlled by runner rests upon the apex of the tripod, thus the movement of a flaring runner 9, the inner supporting the seat-arms. and outer surfaces of which are tapered'to cor- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation respond to the incline which the legs assume of my improved device in position for use as when distended in use, which is that in which 40 a cane. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the cane they are shown in Fig. 3. Said runner limremoved and the device in position for use its the outward movement of said legs. Dur- 9 as a stool. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the ing the use of the stool said runner 9 has its latter. Fig. 4 is a detail plan View showing lower edge seated against suitable shoulders the construction of the radial folding seat- 10, formed. upon the legs, and these shoulders 45 arms. Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of will prevent the downward movement of said the device converted into a stool. Fig. 6 is runner when the legs are distended and the a view of the hand-section detached. Fig. 7 weight of the user is placed upon the stool. is a view of the lower end of the device when At the upper end of said runner is a projectconverted into a cane. ing grooved flange 11, havingaseries of radial slits 12, in which are pivotally mounted, by means of a wire 13, the lower ends of a series of seat-arm braces 14:. The upper ends of said braces are pivotally connected, by means of wire loops 15, to the under side of a series of radial seat-arms 16. These seat-arms are pref-- erabl y made of metal and have their lower edges curved downwardly to present a rounded surface for the user to sit upon, and they are connected and spaced apart by means of a suitable flat strap or ribbon 17, which is laced through suitable openings 18 formed in said arms. The inner ends of said arms are pivotally connected to an annular flange 19 upon the socket 5 by being inserted in apertures 20 and bent around the intervening metal of said flange 19.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen the device is to be used as a cane, the parts occupy the position in which they are shown in Fig. 1, with the hand-section 1 screwed into the socket 5 and the legs 7 and seat-arms 16 folded into compact form. The folding function may be readily performed. by first pressing the legs 7 closely together, which will permit the flaring runner 9 to be slid downwardly upon said legs, thereby binding them closely, so that they will make a cylindrical bundle, and the downward movement of said runner Will also draw downwardly the seat-arms 16 by means of the braces 14. The parts will retain such position by reason of the friction of the outer surface of the legs upon the interior of the said runner, caused by the power of the springs 8 and yielding strips 6.

\Vhen it is desired to use the device as a stool, the hand-section 1 is first detached from the socket 5 and then the runner 9 is slid upwardly upon the legs until its upper end comes in contact with one or more stop-pins, such as 21, projecting from the lower portion of the post 1. The upward movement of the said. runner will also distend the seat-ar1ns and simultaneousl y permit the automatic distention of the legs by their springs 8 and strips 6.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, as it is clear that the same may be modified by workmen skilled in the art without departing from the scope of my invention.

1 claim In a combined cane and stool, the central post 4:; legs 7 hinged to the lower end of said post; springs 8 mounted between said legs, the tension of said. springs being exerted to force the lower ends of the legs apart; the flaring runner 9 encircling said legs and adapted to slide up and down; the radial seat-arms 16 pivotally connected to the upper end of the post.

at; the seat-arm braces 14 connecting the outer ends of the seat-arms to the runner 9, so that when the tension of the springs S is overcome and the legs 7 forced together, the runner will pass downwardly around said legs, thus holding the arms 16 downwardly around the post 4, and so that when the seat-arms are elevated to a horizontal position, the runner 9 encircles the extreme upper ends of the legs 7 holding said legs in the form of a tripod, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I'have signed my name to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES S. ROGERS. 

